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Theology of Change - Part 5 of 5

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• Ephesians 3 and Ephesians 4. This is going to be the fifth and final message on the theology of change. Colossians chapter 3 and verse 10. I want you to note what the Bible says. Colossians 3 and verse 10: "And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him." Then in Ephesians 4 and verse 24, the Bible says, "And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." Let me

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• just remind you that so far in the previous four messages, what I have shared with you—the first two messages actually dealt with the difference between a preference and a conviction. And I shared with you how those two are vastly different. You might prefer something, but you will change if the conditions are right. A conviction, of course, you will not change. And I gave you four tests that would determine whether or not we hold preferences or convictions.

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• There was the test of profit. There was the test of pleasure. There was the test of pressure. There was the test also of persecution. And, of course, even under profit I also included the test of poverty because these things, of course, will indeed test us and reveal what we really hold and what we really believe as well. And the third message I pointed out how the change is absolutely necessary and that we will change regardless whether we want to change or not. We will either change for the better and go forward or we will change for the worse and go backwards. But I pointed out the many changes that we have in our Christian life: how repentance is a change, conversion is a change, sanctification is a change, glorification is the ultimate change.

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• And so, until we are glorified, we're to be constantly and consistently changing our lives and our understanding and our theology in the sense that we're to grow more biblical, more holy, and more godly, and our understanding should, of course, reach a better degree, especially in reference to our theology as well. We begin to understand how to apply the knowledge that God has given us. In the fourth message, I distinguished for you between the two words gnosis and epignosis, and I'm going to take just a few minutes and review that today since those were two strange words. And I pointed out actually how this is our starting point for change when we go from gnosis to epignosis. Gnosis is just simply the Greek word for knowledge. That's it.

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• It occurs 28 times in our Bible. One time it is interpreted as science, that would be 29 times. The Greek word, ginosko, which is the verb, "I know," occurs 223 times in our Bibles. And this is where the early sect, the Gnostics, derived their name, from where they derived their name. They actually believed and taught that there was a special salvation that they only possessed because they had this secret knowledge. And in order to really be genuinely saved you had to have the knowledge of the Gnostics. And I pointed out how there were the Docetic Gnostics, there were the Corinthian Gnostics, and they are both condemned in the Bible: the book of Colossians as well as the book of 1 John against the Gnostics. The Docetic Gnostics, you remember, is from the Greek word dokeo which means "I appear."

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• They denied the humanity of Jesus Christ because they said that anything material is evil and so Jesus could not have had a real literal physical body because that would have been evil. And so they said he was a divine apparition. He was a mirage. He was not real. He just appeared to be real. That's why in 1 John, John said, "We have seen him, we've heard him, and our hands have handled him." So he's not just a spirit. He is real. He is genuine. So you have this, not this gnosis. And you could say that gnosis basically is what you and I would call elementary knowledge or rudimentary knowledge.

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• The next word is epignosis, and remember it is the same word with a preposition epi. And epi means "upon," or "unto," or "into." So actually epignosis means knowledge into knowledge, or knowledge actually upon knowledge. And it is described in the Bible, I'm going to show you, as a more precise, and a more accurate, and even a fuller knowledge. So again let me just say it like this: gnosis would be elementary knowledge.

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• It would be your ABCs, it would be 2 plus 2. It's that which is simple, it's that which is plain, it's that which any Christian should know. But when you get to epignosis, it comes as a more precise knowledge. You remember I quoted a passage last week from 2 Peter 1 and verse 2 where the Bible says, "Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God and our Lord Jesus Christ." But the word knowledge there is epignosis. It's not just gnosis. So grace and peace is to be multiplied to us through the fuller, more accurate, more precise knowledge of God. Now, let me begin today, and I'm going to finish this thought between gnosis and epignosis. So, let me begin today by making just one truth very plainly, and then I'm going to give you the second truth. The first one is this: there is no room to despise knowledge in the Bible, not even that which you and I would call elementary knowledge. Not any knowledge is even under what you and I would call gnosis.

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• We all have the same starting point. You know, it doesn't matter what discipline you are learning. Everyone starts at the same point. That is ground zero. You know nothing about it or you know very little about it. And then you begin to learn and then you add learning upon learning, et cetera. Well, the truth of the matter is we all begin as babes in Jesus Christ. Just like we begin as babes physically, we also begin as babes spiritually. We should mature physically and we should also mature spiritually as well. When a Christian has been regenerated and converted by the grace of God, he is not like Adam created full-grown. He's a babe in Jesus Christ. There is no Christian that is converted that automatically has perfect knowledge and perfect understanding. We're all babes in Jesus Christ. So we have to grow not just physically but spiritually as well. As we grow older in the faith, we learn to perceive and appreciate knowledge and understanding. In fact, the older we get, the more we appreciate knowledge.

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• We were building a little building and I had a young man who was helping me, who was a builder himself and very smart. In fact, his father is a dear friend of mine. And we were putting up this OSB board. And so I said, "I'll tell you what let's do. I said, let's screw a 2x4 on the bottom there and let's just set the OSB board on the 2x4, that way we won't have to hold it." He looked at me, he said, "You like to work smart, don't you?" I said, "Yes." He said, "You're not like my daddy." I said, "And the reason I'm a lot like your daddy is because your daddy tells you to do it and you have to hold it. I said, I don't want to have to hold it. Let's put the 2x4 down there."

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• So, you know, the truth of the matter is you learn to appreciate knowledge. The Bible says in the book of Proverbs chapter 18 verse 15, "The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge and the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge." So if you're wise, said God, you're going to get knowledge. If you're prudent, you're going to get knowledge. In Proverbs 19 in verse 2, he said also that "the soul be without knowledge, it is not good, and he that hasteth with his feet sinneth."

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• Now, what I want to do is repeat just a couple of scriptures that I gave you last week just so I can build upon them. So, remember if you would please in Colossians 3 and verse 10, I'm going to come back here. He said, "We put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him." But I want you to look back in your Bibles to the book of Luke chapter 1, Luke chapter 1. Notice if you would beginning there with verse 76. This is where Zechariah the father of John the Baptist is describing John's ministry that he's going to have. John has just been born. So in Luke 1 in verse 76, Zechariah the father says, "And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the

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• highest, for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the remission of their sins, through the tender mercy of our God, whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace." Now, when you look at verse 77, Zechariah said that part of the ministry of John the Baptist was to give knowledge of salvation to his people. Now the word knowledge there is simply the word gnosis. And I pointed out last week in reality that is the only thing that anyone can give that is elementary truth in that sense of the word. And John's message was an elementary message. John did convey knowledge. He did preach repentance and he did point out Jesus Christ as the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world. And yet the truth is the knowledge that John conveyed and the knowledge that he held was limited. And in one sense of the word you could say it

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• was also elementary. It was a starting point. Because there was no salvation apart from repentance. And there was no salvation apart from Jesus Christ. But let me show you what I mean by a starting point. I want you to look in your Bibles to the book of Hebrews chapter 6 and verse 1. Hebrews chapter 6 and verse 1. And this verse has been greatly misunderstood by a number of people, but yet it is a very simple verse to understand. But I want you to look at verse one of Hebrews chapter six. "Therefore, leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection"—or to maturity—"not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God." Now, when you look at that verse, you read it: "Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection." Is the author of the book of Hebrews saying if you want to be perfect, if you want to be mature, just forget the principles of Jesus Christ?

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• Well, of course, he's not saying that. You have to understand the word principles. He said, "Therefore leaving the principles"—the word principles, the Greek word arche, which refers to a point of beginning or a starting place or the place where one begins or the first steps from one's place. So he says this: "Therefore leaving the elementary or the first stages of your understanding of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection or maturity." And then he clarifies it: "Not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God." In other words, I ought not to have to come in here every Sunday and preach salvation. I ought not to have to tell you every Sunday that sinners must repent. I ought not to have to tell you every Sunday that Jesus Christ is the only Savior and the only Lord. That's all he's saying. That's elementary knowledge. That's rudimentary knowledge. You should know this. So he is saying you should go on from what I would say gnosis to epignosis. And so John's ministry was basically a point of beginning.

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• He did convey knowledge, but he did not convey what you and I would call a full knowledge, or a complete knowledge, or a more precise knowledge. All knowledge in one sense of the word is elementary in the sense that we learn in succession. We learn one thing after another. None of us understand the totality of anything once and for all, or at one time. So let me show you what I'm talking about.

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• Look back in your Bibles to the book of Acts chapter 18. Acts chapter 18. And let's begin reading there with verse 24. We're reading about a man by the name of Apollos. Acts chapter 18. Look if you would please at verse 24. Acts 18 verse 24: "And a certain Jew named Apollos, born in Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus. And this man was instructed in the way of the

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• Lord, and being fervent in spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John. That's all he knew. And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue, whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly." In other words, all Apollos knew was what John taught and what John preached. There was more truth. There was fuller truth. There was more precise and accurate truth since the ministry of John.

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• But he didn't know that. So Aquila and Priscilla took him and explained in more and fuller details concerning Jesus Christ.

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• Now, look if you would please in Acts chapter 19 just to show you: "And it came to pass that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coast came to Ephesus and finding certain disciples he said unto them, 'Have you received the Holy Ghost since—or when—you believed?' And they said unto him, 'We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.' We don't know who the Holy Ghost is.

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• And he said to them, 'Unto what then were you baptized?' And they said, 'Unto John's baptism.' That's all we know. Then said Paul, 'John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is on Christ Jesus.' And when they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. In other words, all they knew was what John the Baptist conveyed, which was elementary truth. There was more truth that God revealed after that.

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• You have to understand this simple principle. Our knowledge, whether it is great or small, is only made effectual by God alone. Do you understand this? We are responsible for the proclamation of the truth of God. We are responsible for the proclamation of the Word of God. We are not responsible for the results which it produces. So God can use it and make it effectual to the conversion and repentance of individuals or God can use it and harden people and they be driven from the faith or driven away.

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• But our responsibility is to proclaim that which we know. I talked to a dear brother the other day, and he said, "You know, sometimes I'm just so afraid I'm going to convey some wrong information." And I told him, I said, "Look, you are not responsible for what you don't know, you're responsible for what you do know. You convey what you do know, and God will give you light further on, and then you can add to that. But whatever we have and whatever we know, it's God who makes it effectual."

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• That's why in 2 Corinthians 2 and verse 14, the Apostle Paul said, "Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savor of his knowledge by us in every place." And then in 2 Corinthians 4 and verse 6, he says, "For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."

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• Now let me just point this out. Elementary knowledge is absolutely needed and necessary so that we can live peacefully and practically. Let me show you. Look in your Bibles to Romans chapter 15. Just turn over another book. Romans 15 and look at verse 14. Look what the Apostle Paul said to these Roman Christians. Romans 15 in verse 14. He said, "And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that you are also full of goodness, filled with all knowledge"—that is gnosis—"able also to admonish one another." You have to know elementary truth in order to admonish each other.

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• How in the world could I correct Steve or Steve correct me if we did not have elementary and rudimentary knowledge? I mean we have to know what's right and what's wrong. We have to know what's scriptural and what's not scriptural. So I'm just saying the Apostle Paul said, "Look, you Romans, you all have elementary knowledge and that elementary knowledge is sufficient, according to verse 14, that you may be able to admonish or exhort or rebuke each other."

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• And then there's another verse in—here's the one that we never really learned but 1 Peter chapter 3 in verse 7, because the word there is gnosis as well in that passage. The Bible says, "Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them"—that is the wives—"according to knowledge, giving honor unto the wife as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers be not hindered." So even God says you have to have some basic elementary knowledge in order to live with a wife.

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• You have to know some biblical truths. You have to know creation differences. You have to know a lot of things, he says. But you need this, he says, in order to live peacefully and practically. So, even though we might have an elementary knowledge or basic rudimentary knowledge, we should always be seeking to add to that knowledge. The Apostle Paul said it like this in Philippians 3 in verse 8: "Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but dung, that I may know him." Now listen to what he said: "I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge," even the gnosis, the elementary knowledge concerning the Lord Jesus Christ.

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• He said, "I'm willing to give anything. I'm willing to suffer anything. I'm willing to lose anything just to gain more knowledge concerning Jesus Christ." That's why the Bible says in the book of Colossians 2 and verse 3 concerning Jesus Christ, "In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." So anything worth knowing is worth knowing in Jesus Christ. Anything worth learning is worth learning in Jesus Christ. The problem is this—let me explain it. So many people want knowledge that they equate knowledge with facts. When it comes to Jesus Christ, there's a big, big difference between knowing Jesus Christ and knowing facts about Jesus Christ. Even an unsaved man can say Jesus was born, Jesus died, Jesus was buried, Jesus arose from the dead, and Jesus ascended into heaven. Those are facts. Anybody can know those facts. Anybody can say those facts. But just because you know facts does not mean that you know him. The Apostle Paul said in 2 Timothy 1 and verse 12, "For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless

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• I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day." What did Paul say? "I know whom I have believed." He did not say, "I know the facts about in whom I believe." He said, "I know him. I know him. I know him." And so many people know facts, but they do not know Jesus Christ. So there's a vast difference between knowing about Christ and knowing Jesus Christ. Now, since you're in the book of Romans, I want you to look back to Romans chapter 2. And let me show you a warning here. We cannot be like these wicked individuals that the Apostle Paul speaks concerning who only have a form of knowledge. Look in Romans 2 verse 19. He's talking about these Jews. And he says—well, let's go to verse 17. He said, "Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, and knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law; and art confident

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• that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast a form of knowledge and of the truth of the law." Now what did the Apostle Paul just say? You have a form of knowledge. You think you know, but you really don't know. A form of knowledge is merely a semblance of knowledge. It is not real knowledge. I'll give you a good illustration.

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• I was sitting in church one day and this Hispanic couple came in and sat right down behind me. I was on the front row. They sat right down behind me and they began speaking in Spanish. I sat and listened for a few minutes. I turned around and looked at them and I said, "La Biblia es la palabra de Dios. Yo tengo una amiga que me ama, su nombre es Jesús." They said, "Those are the only two sentences I know in Spanish."

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• And all I said was "The Bible is the word of God. I have a friend who loves me whose name is Jesus." That's all I said and they assumed that I understood everything that they were saying and I did not understand a word of what they were saying. So what I did was I gave them a form. I gave them a semblance. And that was it. And they fell for the bait. They thought I understood them when I did not. So a form of knowledge may possess facts, but it does not know how to relate those facts to God or to practical living. A form of knowledge is one that one just simply seems to have, but there is no application of it in his life. It is such foolishness that leads to the destruction of lives, not only those who claim to possess the knowledge, but it also in those whom they influence.

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• In fact, in Luke 11 and verse 52, our Lord said it like this: "Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered." So obviously, when you have a form of knowledge and you really don't understand what you're talking about, it's going to lead to your own destruction and the destruction of others.

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• Now, in light of these passages, let me emphasize this truth again. Biblical knowledge is given unto us so that our lives will become more holy, more godly, more obedient, and more righteous. If one boasts of knowledge, especially biblical knowledge, and he does not live a godly, biblical, obedient life, according to 1 Corinthians chapter 8 verse 1, he is puffed up, he is full of pride, he is arrogant, he is haughty, he is high-minded, and he knows nothing as he ought to know. And the Bible in 2 Timothy chapter 3 verse 7 talks about those individuals who are ever learning, but never able to come to a knowledge of truth. You do know there are people that are professional students, don't you? They just go to school all their lives.

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• We used to tease our oldest daughter. She got her master's degree, and I'm thankful for that, but I would say, "Sweetheart, don't ever become a professional student now." But there are people who just they want to keep learning, keep learning, and there is nothing wrong with learning as long as you know how to apply it, and as long as you use it. But just knowledge for knowledge's sake is absolutely worthless. So, we cannot despise knowledge if knowledge is going to be used, even if it is elementary.

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• Here is the second truth today. We must ask: how are we to change our knowledge? How are we to change our theology? And the answer is that we are to move from an elementary knowledge to a fuller, more precise, and more accurate knowledge. We move from gnosis to epignosis. As our understanding and our comprehension increases, we embrace the fuller and more complete truth that is given to us through the study of the Word of God by the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit. We do not change our theology because of pleasure, profit, poverty, pressure, or persecution. We only change through the study of the Word of God and the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit.

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• Now, I want to show you three passages before I show you some other passages that really deal with what I would call the difference between gnosis and epignosis. I want you to turn in your Bibles, first of all to Matthew chapter 14. Look in Matthew chapter 14. And we'll begin with verse 35. And each of these passages you have the word epignosis. Matthew chapter 14 verse 35: "And when the men of that place had knowledge of him"—that is of Jesus Christ—"the men of that place had knowledge of him, and had epignosis of him, had fuller knowledge of him, more precise and accurate knowledge of him.

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• They sent out into all that country round about, and brought unto him all that were diseased, and besought him that they might only touch the hem of his garment, and as many as touched were made perfectly whole." So when they understood that Jesus Christ was the Son of God, when they understood that he was the Great Physician, that he was the Healer, that he was the One who could do miracles, what did they do? They sent out and brought in the sick that he might heal them.

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• In other words they had fuller knowledge. They knew who Jesus Christ was. If you will look in your Bibles to the book of Acts chapter 24, Acts chapter 24. Here the Apostle is standing and defending himself. Acts chapter 24. Ananias the high priest with the elders and Tertullus, a certain orator, came and tried to get Paul condemned and convicted. So, if you look in verse 7—in fact, let's go back to verse 5. Here's what Tertullus is saying before Felix, okay?

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• He says, "For we have found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout all the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes, who also hath gone about to profane the temple, whom we took and would have judged according to our law"—that is we would have killed him. "But the chief captain Lysias came upon us, and with great violence took him away out of our hands, commanding his accusers to come unto thee: by examining of whom thyself may take epignosis, full knowledge of all these things whereof we accuse him. And the Jews also assented, saying that these things are so." Now, here's what Tertullus is saying. You have our testimony, but you also have the records that the chief captain Lysias has sent unto you. You have the facts. You have the full facts. You understand this thing. You have a fuller and more precise knowledge of all the events that have transpired. That's what they're saying.

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• So now you can make this judgment. Now if you would turn right over to the book of Romans chapter 3 and look at verse 20. Here's another time that the word epignosis is used. He said in Romans 3 in verse 20: "Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin." Now stop and think about that. "By the law is the knowledge of sin." If you were to go out on the street or if you were to go into any church and you ask any Christian what is sin, most of them would tell you something like this: "Well, it's something that's bad. It's something you shouldn't do." Some would say it's wicked. It's wrong. Everybody knows that. But if you want a full knowledge of sin, you have to examine the law of God. The Bible says in 1 John 3 and verse 4, "Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law."

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• So, you can have an idea of sin in general, but if you want to know about the penalty of sin, and the power of sin, and the presence of sin, and any and everything about sin, you need to study the Law of God. It's God's Law that reveals sin, and all of its wickedness, and all of its ungodliness. So, the word epignosis refers to a fuller, more precise, and more accurate knowledge.

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• I've laid that out for you. I want to show you this in the Bible and I want to show you what the author of the book of Hebrews meant when he says, "Therefore leaving the first principles"—the point of beginning—"let us go on unto perfection." So look in your Bibles first of all to the book of Ephesians chapter 1 and let's begin reading there with verse 15. Every time you see the word knowledge in these passages, it's going to be epignosis, a full or more precise and accurate knowledge. So look what he says. Ephesians 1 verse 15.

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• Paul is praying. He says, "Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and love unto all saints, cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers." And so here is what Paul prays for concerning these Ephesian Christians: "That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the full knowledge"—or in the more precise and accurate knowledge—"of him."

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• Now watch: "The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: and hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the

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• fulness of him that filleth all in all." Now, let me just point out the fact, what Paul is praying about here is not just simply your regular ABCs. It's not two plus two. He says, "I'm praying that God will give you the full knowledge of himself." Watch verse 18: "That the eyes of your understanding will be enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of his calling.

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• What is the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power." Let me stop and ask you this. Have you ever stopped to think of the almighty power that God exerted upon Jesus Christ when he raised Jesus Christ from the dead? Well, the Apostle Paul is saying that is the exact power that God used in convicting and converting us. It's a supernatural power. Wow. Have you ever really considered the fact that Jesus Christ has been raised above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but in that which is to come? In other words, he is saying that Jesus Christ is all and in all. So this passage in Ephesians 1 where Paul is praying for these Ephesians, it's far more than what you and I would call your elementary knowledge. He wants you to go deeper and further into the purpose and the will of God in salvation.

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• Look in your Bibles to Ephesians chapter 4. Let me give it to you again, Ephesians 4. Notice verse 11. Ephesians 4 verse 11: "And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; why? For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the full knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect"—or mature—"man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ."

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• "That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: from whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love."

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• Now note if you would, he said, "I want you to come into the full knowledge, a more precise and accurate knowledge of the Son of God. I want you to become a mature man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ." Wow! He said, "I don't want you to be children tossed to and fro, but I want you to speak the truth in love and grow up into him in all things." This is a little past your ABCs. This is a little past elementary rudimentary knowledge in the Bible. If you would turn right over

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• to the book of Philippians chapter 1. Philippians chapter 1. Look if you would please beginning there with verse 9. Philippians 1 in verse 9. He's going to tell you this again. Philippians 1 verse 9: "And this I pray, that your love may abound more and more in full knowledge and in all judgment." Why do we need a fuller, more precise knowledge? "That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ; being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God." Wow! He says, once you begin to have a little more precise and accurate and fuller knowledge, you'll approve things that are excellent. You'll be sincere. You'll be without offence. You'll be filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ unto the glory and praise of God. Wow. Look in your Bibles to the book of Colossians 1, just over a page or two. Colossians 1 beginning there with verse 9. Colossians 1 verse 9: "For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be

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• filled with the full, accurate, precise knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; why do you need that? That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet"—or suitable—"to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light." Wow! Like I say folks, epignosis is something that is far, far above elementary knowledge. It is a deeper, fuller, more precise knowledge.

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• If you will look in your Bibles to 2 Peter chapter 1, turn over just a few books, 2 Peter chapter 1. Hebrews, James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter. Look in 2 Peter chapter 1 beginning there in verse 1. He says, "Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the full, more precise, accurate knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, according as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the full knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." Wow! He said this is to be given to us through a fuller, more accurate knowledge.

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• Now, I want you to watch, watch carefully. Here is what he says, let's begin reading in verse 5: "And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue." Faith, elementary knowledge, gnosis is the starting point. You don't stop at the starting point. You're saved. Add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. Look what he says: "For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the full knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins." So, what he is saying is this: it is the fuller, more precise knowledge that is going to enable you to add all of these things to your life, and to make you fruitful in every area. I want to show you one other passage and then I'm going to make an application.

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• If you'll look in 2 Peter chapter 3 and verse 18. 2 Peter 3 and verse 18. I've pointed this out before, I'm going to point it out again. Peter ends his epistle by saying, "But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen." Now the word knowledge there is the word gnosis, that is for sure. But look what he says: "But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." I want to call your attention to the little word "and," A-N-D. That little word "and" is kai, K-A-I in the Greek. That same word is translated in our Bibles as "even" hundreds of times. So you could read verse 18 like this: "But grow in grace, even in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." Which would mean if you're not growing in knowledge, you're not growing in grace. Grace and peace, according to 2 Peter 1, comes to us through a fuller, more accurate knowledge of our great God and Saviour.

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• When you are mature, you cannot be content to say your ABCs. You cannot be content with childish things. My oldest granddaughter used to watch Barney when she was a little girl. I hate Barney. I always hated Barney. But she watched it and so did all the grandchildren. And when she got older, every time going home, I would pass the Barneyville Road, I would call her and I would say, "I'm approaching the Barneyville Road.

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• Would you like me to pick you up? Let's go see Barney." "Papa, don't even mention that to me. I hate Barney." Well, why did she hate Barney? She used to love Barney. The answer is she matured. She outgrew all of that. She put away her childish things. So this is what I'm trying to tell you today. As Christians, we are required to mature. We're required to grow. We cannot be content with just saying, "Well, I believe this, and I believe that, and I believe this." Well, that's what everybody knows. That's what everybody understands.

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• Have you gone any further? Have you given more thought to becoming more involved in learning a more precise and accurate and fuller truth concerning the doctrines concerning God, concerning the Lord Jesus Christ? You see, gnosis is our stepping stone. It is our starting point. Everybody has gnosis. Everybody has some knowledge. We cannot continue to glory in elementary truths. We cannot continue to glory in saying our times tables. We cannot continue to glory in seeing and reading "Run, Jane, run. Look, Dick, look at baby Sally." That's elementary stuff. You know, most Christians can't even tell you the books of the Bible. Most Christians can't even divide the Bible. But I will tell you this.

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• When you were a little kid and you learned two plus two equals four, and then you learned to multiply, you learned to divide. All of that math, although it was important, was elementary. It only prepared you for algebra and calculus and trigonometry. You couldn't do those things unless you knew the elementary. And it's the same thing here. Our elementary faith just prepares us to go on to a fuller and more precise and more accurate faith when we really begin to look at what God is teaching us and saying to us in the scripture.

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• Our theology should change as we study, as we are enlightened by the Holy Spirit, as he gives us discernment. We do not change for profit or pleasure or poverty or pressure or persecution. We change only as God is pleased to show us truth. You show me a man who does not change his theology, and I will show you a man who does not read his Bible and does not study his Bible. That does not mean that we change every day, but it does mean that we change because as God shows us truth, we have to embrace truth. The one who does not change is dead.

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• Gnosis is our starting point. What you know right now is where you start. And then you begin to study and you begin to pray. And God opens your eyes and God shows you a fuller, more accurate, more precise knowledge of himself and his truth and how it applies to everyday life. What we want is a full knowledge. Our theology of change is we change as God shows us his truth, and we embrace it, and we believe it, and we apply it.

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• Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to thee this day. We thank you for your word. We thank you for your truth. We ask, Father, that you'd be pleased to grant us an understanding, enlighten our minds, teach us, build us up in the most holy faith, help us to mature and come to the full measure of the stature of Jesus Christ. May we not be any more children tossed to and fro, but may, Father, we understand more fully your love, your grace, your mercy, your purpose, your person, your power, your position. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask it. Amen.

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• You.

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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T14:10:49Z